Author's Note: Here it is...the final chapter of the Hyrule Castle Arc. With a climatic cliffhanger to boot. Again, many questions, fewer answers.

I'm not going to say much, seeing as most of the stuff is at the bottom. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is copyright to Shigeru Miyamoto and his team of developers for Nintendo and its respected companies.

/ is a scene transition. /\/\/\/\/\/\ marks the end of the chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Five: An Hour Past Noon

When I awoke, I found that my mind was filled with agony. I didn't mind to open my eyes or move, nor did I care what time in the morning it was, for it was in the morning, and for the moment, that was all that mattered.

Princess Zelda is in danger. This was my primary concern at first, before a vengeful recap of the previous day sent my mind spiraling once more…

Princess Ruto revealed herself to the public, giving everyone less trust in their princess, who had now been titled as an attempted-murderer.

They had only fourteen more days left to conjure up four thousand rupees and give up the Lake Hylia Province, though I wasn't sure where or what that was, besides being a lake. Otherwise, there would definitely be violence ahead.

Worse, nobles from Carperya, a far off land, had, in my words, taken hostage our home from Zelda's generous offer, and they seemed to believe in some fairy tale likely spread from the Hero of Time himself. Why he would do such a thing, I had no clue, but they showed that they strongly believed so, even perhaps becoming hostile. They even brought a psychopath with an axe who they were certain was dangerous! And then, there were the eyes of the Lord, Sir Rorenth, and his daughter Claire.

Then, there was the fact of Saria's odd actions last night. Why in the world had she smiled and informed me, the nightmare is over? She also seemed to notice the effect my disguise had on me, if only the magic it involved.

Then, my wife, Sarah. I had no idea what I was to do about her. I mean, it was entirely my fault, and I should take whatever punishment I deserved, right? I would have to speak with her after my main dilemma.

Then, the now primary focus of my mind, the speech I was to give today. Without a weapon, most likely, with Mesovys ready. This thought sent chills down my spine, and I shuddered involuntarily. Pondering the speech, however, I found words begin to echo throughout my head…

My dear fellow Hylians, I join you on this day due to your demand that something be done about these recent dilemmas…

W-was this the speech?! Despite the fact that I had not at all recited such a daunting statement, it prodded into my mind, wanting to be known, and I could not rid myself of it. More and more, the lyrics of politics found their way into my head. What was this? Why have I now suddenly begun to learn this presentation? My questions went unanswered, and I finally had the nerve to open my eyes.

I was in my own room. I glanced down at myself, and gasped, at my body, for it was unchanging. However, I found that I could not control this gasp, and I could also not control the gentle movements of my body as it slowly lifted itself out of the bed and over to the mirror. I stared into the reflection (which, oddly enough, looked exactly like me), wondering why I was doing so. I was also aware of another voice in my head, which, without my permission, spoke into my mouth.

"It is too late."

What the hell was going on? And why did the voice resemble Zelda's in my head?

I then found myself waking up, somehow as if from a dream, and gazing up at the ceiling of Zelda's quarters, where I had lain when I fell asleep. Now I was utterly confused. Why in the world had I been in my own room?

It was then that I noticed that my eyesight was clearer. I found that I began to take in more detail than the night before; the small presses of indentations in the room walls that were a squint's notice at a distance with the vision I had previously, but now were twice as seeable now. Why had my vision improved? I hadn't even thought that it could improve.

And why did I feel so lightweight? As if the ceiling were the only barrier to keep me from floating to the goddesses themselves? And yet, with this, a strain was placed on my mind, keeping me grounded and heavy.

I listened to my breath- my hearing improved, of course- and found it lighter. I turned my head slightly to the side, only to finally have some sort of panic kick in.

My pillow was layered in citrine bright hair, long and attached to my head. This caused me to gasp aloud, then squeak as I found my gasp entirely feminine (as well as the squeak).

I leapt out of the bed, ignoring the lightheadedness I felt and the slight prance of feet smaller than my own. Continuing to feel the brush of the hair against even fairer skin, I brought my undivided attention to the Mirror of Mudora, and let out an even more feminine gasp.

Good Goddesses, oh, Farore, Nayru, Din, anyone. No. This could not be happening.

I was not only in appearance through the mirror Princess Zelda, but wholly as well. I could only gaze in horror at my light lips, lazurite eyes at full attention; even the air I breathed felt simply…different. My mind was numb as I stood, lightheaded and only able to process the fact that I was now Princess Zelda, scantily clad in the tunic undershirt that did not fit and an undergarment that most definitely did not fit any longer.

Oh, Farore! Please! Help me out of this situation!

Receiving no answer, I began to try to assess the situation. Something had definitely happened overnight involving the Pendant of Peril, and it seemed to throw it over the edge with the curse. From what I had seen, Zelda had apparently been affected as well. My question was, however, what I had seen in my dream…how had Zelda been seen with a different reflection if now she had mine? How could the dream come true, then?

Ugh. This was so confusing.

Nonetheless, I needed to hurry to Zelda and inform her of my nightmare. She, Ceaye, and Kingsley could do something about it. However, there was only one uncomfortable situation that stood in my way: undressing. This was a rather uncomfortable topic, not to mention situation. I decided I simply would not speak to Zelda about it and try to force the thought from my mind. A pure mind is a productive one, one could say.

When that sensitive issue was out of the way, I hurried down the stairs as best I could in high heels (I regrettably note that they caused me pain by this point). Many rooms passed by, along with confused servants.

When I reached the throne room, I found something that completely threw me into a perplexity I wasn't expecting. Standing by the throne was…

…Princess Zelda?!

I approached her with complete confusion upon my face. She even had her reflection back! "What happened? How…?"

Zelda said nothing for a moment, gazing at me with an apologetic look. "I am sorry, Link. When I awoke this morning, I felt another's presence and rushed to the mirror, only to find that I had looked just like you, reflection included. Panicking, I used the remainder of my magic to attempt to reverse the effects. It ended in failure."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded angrily. "You appear to be fine and have your regular reflection bestowed upon you!" I paused at my odd word choice.

"Hmm," Zelda pondered, "your vocabulary is unusually complex. Anyway, on the matter of your question, I am wearing the dress that has the charm, and even so I find that my reflection of my true self shines through."

"Why does it not work for me, then?" I asked in return.

"Because I used no magic to restore you or the tunic," she elucidated, "not to mention the fact that you have with you the Pendant of Peril." At this comment my hand went to the pendant, clutching it. "Unfortunately, this complicates matters. No longer can I completely rely on being disguised as you, nor can two princesses simply run around. I am puzzled as to what method to take."

With this, the dream came back to mind, and I panicked. "Do not disguise as me," I warned her. "I had a dream in which you died from it."

Zelda thought for a moment. "Well, again, we cannot have two princesses run around. And I cannot simply allow you to head on to the speech- which will begin around one hour past noon- without the speech memorized-"

"I have it memorized by heart."

Silence. "That is worrisome; I assume you know that. However, I suppose that I shall stay here, though it is imperative that I wear the charm."

"On second thought," I interrupted, "why don't you come? In the nightmare I had, you were killed two hours past noon."

"I assure you, Link, that that will not happen. The speech begins around one hour after noon, and so your 'premonition' shall not occur. Therefore, there is almost no emergency reason for me to be there."

Attempting to hide my growing obsession over her protection, I tried a different logic. "I need protection from Mesovys when he tries to murder me."

Zelda nodded. "I understand your concern, except for one point. Mesovys shall most likely not show himself today."

"And why not?"

"Mesovys was likely given the assignment from a Zora of high stature; he does not simply take orders from anyone. Using the logic that the only one who would hire a Zora is a Zora, I can deduce that Mesovys will wait until the remaining fourteen days of the Zora's offer before his client will order him to strike again."

Still trying to keep her away from the castle, I tried the "I'm scared" approach. "But I still need you there…for confidence."

This caused Zelda to pause, partly to cringe (perhaps because the tone of needy voice I used made her sound a bit clingy), and partly to consider what I had told her. She finally replied, "Very well. I will go to give you support. And to cease your complaining of an impossible future."

Relief washed through me. "Thank you, Zelda." I now decided to voice a couple of questions. "By the way, where is Ceaye and Kingsley? And what time is it?"

"Ceaye is out checking the state of Lake Hylia. Regrettably, I have not had anyone look to see what has been occurring there for quite some time. Kingsley will be here in but one hour to take you to Castle Town. It is two hours to noon as of this moment." She paused. "Are you satisfied?"

"Yes. Thank you." After a pause, I bid her farewell and decided to head out to the dining hall and eat. I also realized that I had slept in a couple of hours. By the time I reached the dining hall, mostly everyone had eaten and left for who-knows-what. Normally, I would have gotten the leftovers from the earlier meal. However, seeing as I was the princess for the day, I received special privileges and got a meal prepared just for myself by Chef Gourmaa. This time, however, I made sure to skip the wine.

After indulging myself to breakfast, I then returned to the throne room and lazily placed myself upon it. Having done so, I continued to ponder about how this even happened to me. I questioned myself, why was I chosen for this? Why did I have to be the one with such terrible luck? Terrible predicament after terrible predicament seemed to find its way to me, and I began to wonder: will this torment ever stop? I had now gone quite a remarkable amount time without living a normal life, and I felt that it was unfair for me to have to suffer through this all by myself. Even Zelda wasn't suffering as much as me!

My sulking was interrupted as Fredrick entered the throne room, a flash of concern on his face. He bowed before me. "Your Majesty," he murmured.

"You may rise," I offered. He complied. "What do you wish to say that is large enough that you must bring it to my ears?" I still felt uncomfortable with the tone and wording of voice I was using, but ignored it due to the logic that this may have to do with Zelda's future.

"Your Highness," the servant began, "I am concerned with the 'Hero in Training', as Ceaye puts it. I could have sworn that but a few days ago I saw the reflection of him and saw that he had long hair that did not fit…like an illusion. He has also caused me grief on a few occasions, in which Ceaye has not seen to it that he apologizes. He is most rude. What should I do, Your Majesty?"

I paused: this was where I could change it. Where I could prevent Zelda from suffering in the near future nearly four hours from now. "I am not sure if you are merely seeing illusions or if your mind has simply imagined this on a whim. However, do not doubt Ceaye. She is quite wise, though she may be wrong in a few instances…" I tried not to remember the Magic Vial.

"Ah! So she may be wrong this instant!" Fredrick exclaimed.

I frowned. "That is not what I meant-"

"You are so wise, Your Majesty!" the servant complimented. "I shall keep an eye on that Link so that I can discover the truth! By your leave!" With that, he scurried out of the throne room.

…Damn.

Suddenly doubtful, I slumped down in the throne before sitting up due to how uncomfortable leaning against the throne was.

I had doomed Zelda. But maybe there was hope.

The true princess did not reenter the throne room this time as I had expected, but rather the old foreigner Henri. He approached with his all-seeing blind eyes, though he seemed to struggle without a cane. As soon as he was but six feet away, the old man gazed at me with an odd look. It caused me to shudder involuntarily, but his gaze did not cease. He did not speak until finally sighing two minutes later. "My lovely princess. I apologize for interrupting the ponderings of such a beautiful young woman."

Okay…not only was he creeping me out, but he was mocking me as well without knowing it. Was this some sort of cruel joke of the goddesses?

"I am doing fine, Henri," I responded, attempting to create a fitting title for the advisor but failing miserably. "What calls you here to my presence at this time in the morning?"

"Only for a lovely conversation with one just as lovely," he replied, producing another shudder from me. "Now, a young woman by the name of Sarah informed me that you were aware of whether or not there was a deep, dark and dank dungeon within the interior of this noble castle." I noted that his voice was somewhat beginning to wear thin.

"Uh…" I racked my brain in an attempt to possibly discover what there could be in this castle; if I now knew the speech, then I had to know other things as well! However, my mind began to grow weary, and the room began to spin…

/

I walked out into the courtyard, now seeing through Zelda's eyes. Uunco and Saria stood near the fountain, Uunco jumping into attention at seeing me. Saria simply waved, a content smile placed upon her face. I approached, and Uunco hurried over.

"Link!" He jumped up and down in giddy excitement. "I did it! I did it!"

"Did what?" I asked, confused. I found that I still could not control what I was saying.

"I found a fish! A fish in the fountain! Oh, yes, a big fish!" And he laughed in joy.

"A fish?" I stepped closer and peeked into the fountain. A shove sent me backward as Knight pulled himself out of the fountain, a seething glare emitted toward another person nearby. I quickly noticed it was Borhan.

"Hah! Puny Hylian knight!" he guffawed. "I told you that you couldn't match my prowess! Gwah ha ha!" He was sweating heavily, and the creature skin was lying on the pavement only a yard away. He stood with graying pants that clung to surprisingly thick legs.

"Grr…" Knight retaliated with a sudden spring, despite the great bulk of his golden armor, and knocked Borhan off of his feet. "I'll defeat you, you feral maggot!" He then began to beat Borhan with his gloved fists.

Alarm spread through me, but Saria gently placed a hand on my arm. "Relax," she told me, "they know what they're doing."

"Oh really now?" I asked sarcastically; blood was beginning to fly.

"It's a contest," Saria explained. "Sir Adam is trying to injure him as much as he can before Borhan can throw him back into the fountain. No matter how many hits Sir Adam throws, though, he always seems to end up in the water."

"How long has this been going on?" I inquired. "And how many times has he been thrown 'back into the fountain?'"

"About six times," Uunco chimed, and clapped again as he and everyone else was drenched in yet more water from the fountain. "Heh! Fish!"

I laughed, stepping closer to the fountain. However, a gasp was emitted, and I turned around sharply to find Fredrick pointing toward me and shouting, "His reflection! His reflection!" Everyone froze, and could only stare at the reflection of Zelda before she could back away, I along for the ride.

"T-that's not Link?" Uunco asked in horror, and I noticed that Saria was staring at me with a look of utter shock.

"No!" claimed Fredrick. "Her Majesty warned me of this lying traitor! He is NOT the person he claims to be!"

I slowly backed away, realizing that things were indeed falling apart faster than Zelda intended. What did Link do? This was a thought of Zelda's.

Fredrick called out, "Get him!" and the chase began…

/

My eyes shot open, and I saw the ceiling above me. I must have fallen, but to me that did not matter. Zelda was really in danger now!

As I sat up, I noticed Henri speaking to Kingsley. "I-I don't know what happened," he was explaining. "Her Majesty simply collapsed after her eyes spun! I know not of why this has happened, so please do not push this old man too hard…"

Kingsley, however, noticed that I had awoken. "It's fine," he told Henri before hurrying over. "Her Majesty has not been feeling well lately. On the matter of the dungeon, yes, there is one, though no one is allowed in. Terrible people down there." He pulled me up gently, and began to help me out of the throne room. "Now that she's awake, though, please excuse her; she has things to do outside of the castle. Have a good day!" With that, he pulled me out of the throne room.

As soon as there was no one in earshot, Kingsley demanded, "What happened? Her Majesty explained what occurred earlier, but I cannot find her anywhere."

Recovering, I explained to him that I had been seeing through Zelda's eyes and what had happened while I was experiencing it. "She's in grave danger," I told him.

Kingsley paused. "She'll be fine," he informed me back. "She knows the castle by heart, and can easily outrun many quick servants. Now, the speech is but only two hours away. Come, we should make haste." With this, he began to help me to the main hallway of Hyrule Castle.

"Will Ceaye be there?" I asked as a couple servants passed by, only glancing at us for a moment before returning to some frantic search.

"Ceaye should return about a half an hour before the speech," Kingsley replied. "She'll give us the details of the state of Lake Hylia before returning to Her Majesty." Uneasy, I accepted it.

By about a half an hour before the sun reached the center of the sky, we exited the castle and began to walk toward the gate. The gatekeeper nodded, and we passed through to meet some knights already waiting for us. The group then proceeded back toward Castle Town Market.

/

People had gathered around a large wooden stage that must have been set up beforehand. They also seemed to know that this was an important announcement, as they cleared the way when the group of knights proceeded and began to form around the stage. Kingsley and I, however, went behind the large stage, and though Kingsley had to duck, we were well hidden from the audience.

Kingsley stood straight and tall to peek over the structure. He ducked again after he had his share of gazing. "The crowd gathering is increasing," he told me. "They know who's to speak today." This caused me to grow slightly uneasy.

"What time is it?" I asked, not daring to look up and stare at the sun. "When is Ceaye arriving to our presence?" Ugh; again with the formalities. It wasn't like I could help it, though. My mind was turning my words more and more into mimics of Zelda's.

"You have one hour before the speech begins," Kingsley informed me after a swift glance up. "Ceaye will be here in a half an hour. Until then, please wait patiently." And so we waited.

/

Not much happened after that. But, sure enough, Ceaye returned nearly exactly on time. However, she brought with her an expression of great concern and worry.

"What has happened?" I inquired.

"What of Lake Hylia?" Kingsley added.

Ceaye inhaled sharply before beginning. "They are here," She informed us. Her face was grim. "Everywhere."

Kingsley was silent for a moment. "Damn."

My mind nagged at an important factor. "Is Mesovys here?" I asked.

Ceaye could only stare at me with the same expression. "There is an extremely high chance of it."

I was mute for only a moment. "But…what does that mean?"

"It means that we are as good as dead," Kingsley responded.

Ceaye then turned to him in alarm. "Kingsley!" She cried. "You must hurry to Her Majesty! Quickly!"

"But, Ceaye," Kingsley protested, "someone must stay here with Link!"

"I shall do so!" Ceaye harshly replied, surprising us both before she began to quickly whisper something to Kingsley. His magenta eyes widened in horror.

"Stay here and deliver the speech," he ordered me. "I'll head back to the castle." With this, he got up and sprinted off toward the gate.

/

Now, only ten minutes remained until the speech began. Many, many people crowded, patiently awaiting their princess to speak. On the brink of anxiety, I asked Ceaye, "What happens if I mess this up?"

"They will not know the difference if you miss a word," she replied.

"No, I mean, what happens if I die?"

It was a grim question. "Then Her Majesty will fall into despair." She turned toward me, her gaze dead serious. "Do not let that happen."

We were quiet for another six minutes. Then it was time.

"I'm sorry for what I did," I told her, and as I stood to give the speech, I told her, "If Zelda gets injured, due what you can to help her. Do nothing for me." I went up before she could respond.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply as I stood upon the stage, gathering attention from all. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself, and began my presentation.

"My dear fellow Hylians, I join you on this day due to your demand that something be done about these recent dilemmas. Many a plague has wrought hatred and fear throughout our simple market and town. Kakariko stands as barren as the Haunted Wastelands far off. The Zoras have been proven somewhat negligent with their authority and choose not to aid us. And worst of all, great beasts have made traveling in the nighttime a fatal hassle for many. More than a single night in a row has hosted dark clouds that edge these monsters even closer out of hiding. This is a true nightmare, as they scrape our walls, wanting in to cause destruction. Soldiers have gone out, only to never return and be mourned for by their families the next day.

"And yet, what do the people find themselves thinking? 'What have the knights been doing all this time?' 'Why has no one done anything?' 'Where are the knights of Hyrule?' These questions have sprung around for quite some time now. Everyone wants to know what Princess Zelda and her knights have been doing to cease the antics of these feral monsters. Well, here is what we have been doing.

"The knights of Hyrule have been working out diplomatic efforts with the Goron Tribe, attempting to convince them to aid us in our time of need.

"We have closed the drawbridge for you every night to keep the creatures out of town. The knights have done this every single night, even before dark times.

"New knights of Hyrule are being instructed, while more experienced ones head out to run errands to locations such as Kakariko and Death Mountain.

"My fellow Hylians, this is what we have been doing to keep this town as safe as possible. I, your princess, am doing all I can to help the people, though I am not sure you are aware-"

It was so sudden, no one expected it. Except perhaps me.

They rushed in quickly, a couple dozen of them, coming seemingly from nowhere. The Zoras unsheathed spears and drove the crowd back, people crying out in fear and knights attempting to defend their princess. However, the fish resembling creatures leapt at the soldiers rather than attack me, causing the knights to back up and defend themselves. I could only watch in horror as the Zoras were easily as skilled as the Hylians. Everything was quickly falling apart, and yet no Zora aimed to attack me. I wished mentally that I could take a sword and shield and aid them, but seeing as I had the physique of Zelda, I could do nothing about it.

"Drive them back!" a knight shouted. "Keep them away from the princess!" But they weren't aiming for the princess, I was beginning to realize.

They're a distraction.

I was given a two second warning to dive out of the way before a halberd struck where I had been standing but two seconds ago. It was Vesuvia, my epiphany was. And, sure enough, Mesovys dropped down from the building behind the stage. Grinning, he pulled the halberd out of the wooden flooring we stood on.

"Good day, Your Majesty," he smirked. "I take it you were expecting me?"

Behind him, I saw Ceaye hurrying over, a look of great alarm about her face. However, Mesovys must have noticed that I had seen someone, as his black beady eyes gleamed, and he swung Vesuvia in a peculiar fashion. Suddenly, everyone and everything not on the wooden stage, including Ceaye, was changed into negative colors that made everything appear alien. Ceaye attempted to jump over, but was knocked back by some barrier.

I could only gaze in horror. I felt a tug of sickness; it made me want to hurl. "How…"

"Relax, Your Majesty," the assassin's voice almost trilled, "everyone's fine, 'cept you. We're in a little box, with no way out. Some would call it the land of all evil, but I prefer to call it…the Dark World. My curiosity is, how will you deal with me? Heh ha ha!" With this, he began to swing Vesuvia in unbelievably speedy circles, stepping gradually closer.

I backed away, quickly thinking. What the hell was I to do against Hyrule's most deadly assassin? I have to think fast, I soon discover when my back hit an invisible wall that burned. Vesuvia glowed bright neon and spun closer, the halberd seeming like a well sharpened blade on every part of the pole other than where his hands-

His hands. I had to try.

Now backed into the corner, but away from the walls, I gulped as I contemplated how I was to overpower this man. Mesovys grinned.

With a cry, I charged and grabbed onto his hands.

The assassin held a surprised expression on his face, as he didn't expect this. I had grabbed onto his arms, temporarily stopping the spin of the blade just inches away from my arms and head. With his momentary pause, I took the opportunity to punch him in the face with my left hand, actually causing him to stumble back. I winced as pain ran through my hand; Zelda was definitely not skilled in fighting with her fists.

Mesovys was startled for just a moment, a bruise forming on his right cheek. "I'm impressed, Your Majesty," he informed me, "I had no knowledge of you being able to fight with your left hand! You also did not transform into a beast when placed into the Dark World as anyone without this or another weapon would: very interesting…but not enough to spare you!" And he was after me again, this time swinging the halberd in a vertical manner, attempting to slice me straight in half. I leapt out of the way.

However, though he did miss the mark, he did not miss. I screamed as the blade of Vesuvia grazed my back, easily cutting through the dress and exposing my bare skin, where a bloody cut ran down my back and leaked blood. The pain was intense, but I could manage.

Mesovys just laughed. "It seems my aim has decreased since I last used it!" He grinned and called over, "Does it hurt, Princess? Does it sting? Well, don't worry: it won't sting much longer!" This time, however, he was going for a quick stab. I could only make one motion before it struck me.

I pulled the Pendant of Peril in front of me.

Vesuvia struck into the pendant, thrusting me against the Dark World's barrier as the assassin attempted to stab me through with the halberd. The wall burned, and I screamed as I could hear and feel the wound on my back sizzle with pain.

Mesovys cried, "And now you have it?! That trinket…grr! Nonetheless, I'll stab through it and into your princess heart!" And he pushed me harder into the searing burning from the barrier.

The pain was becoming unbearable; I could feel the wall ripping through my skin and tearing the dress I wore, and it felt like hell. I almost wanted to die right here, right now…The outside of the barrier was growing fuzzy…

As the assassin grinned, shoving me, I heard an unnatural thud sound behind Mesovys. A great shadow began approaching, carelessly stomping over and on people, though they seemed not affected. Mesovys didn't seem to notice either. And then I stared into the great, yellow eyes of the approaching creature as it neared. I saw, in them, great evil, and felt what it was like to be truly fearful…

However, before the great beast could reach us, the pendant glowed that magnificent orange again, then deathly black, and suddenly the barrier shattered, me being thrown onto the ground behind the stage and the halberd Vesuvia turning an evil shade. I could only stare up, and from what I heard, so could everyone else.

Mesovys stood on the platform, crying out as the halberd's color darkened to black. Then, the darkness transferred to Mesovys, and he shrieked in response. Dropping the halberd, he screamed and clutched his head as he darkened, the power seemingly to much for him. He gave one last cry, and then exploded into dark shards of nothing I could recognize. These faded from existence.

Silence.

He's gone.

The reaction from the battling parties was immense. The Zoras cried out in anger as the Hylians cheered before continuing the battle. However, their morale lost, Zora upon Zora fell before the knights of Hyrule.

I attempted to get up, only to groan, collapse, and cry in pain; the injuries on my back felt absolutely horrid. How much damage had been done to me? How close had I been to dying? I didn't know the answer to the first question, but the second was obvious by this point.

Ceaye hurried over. "Link!" she cried, and kneeled above me.

"Ugh…" I looked up at her with a grimace. "How much did he injure me?" I asked.

Ceaye turned me over, earning a moan from me, and a gasp from her.

"What?" I demanded. "How bad is it?"

For a second, she was quiet. "The entirety of the back of your dress has been burnt to a crisp," she informed me. "The skin is close to black."

"Damn it!" I cried, though partly from the pain itself. "Am I really half naked?!" Not as much of a problem, except that I was Zelda…

Ceaye turned me over, instructing me to stay still. "The damage may be permanent if I do not find Her Majesty. It is of a dark, evil source, and she must cleanse the wound." She began to help me up.

"Can I at least get a new dress?!" I moaned, but she didn't listen, instead lifting me up and carrying me in a style that fit a marriage. Oh, Nayru, this was indeed going to be ridiculously embarrassing.

However, she reduced it by throwing down a deku nut, blinding me, and hurrying off toward the castle. We soon reached the gate, in which we were surprised by a very disturbing sight.

The two soldiers guarding the gate had their throats slit, and they lay before the now open gate.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We are too late." She then carried me into the main hallway, in which it seemed that a struggle had occurred. A dead Zora lay on the floor.

They had been here, too.

No.

Ceaye wordlessly continued on, passing through hallways in which we found a few dead servants, and a couple more Zoras.

Then, we reached the courtyard.

Dead knights and servants were found among more murdered Zoras in the remains of a battle that must have been fought only a half an hour ago. Among those dead, however, I found Marcus there, with a spear wound in his chest. His eyes were cold and dead. Other than that, I could not recognize any other knight or servant who really seemed that important to me, which I suppose was a miracle. Red blood was mixed with freakish blue Zora blood that made the grass altogether wet.

Molly, Claire's stepsister, crawled out from behind a bush, her eyes wide. "Someone alive!" She hurried over to us, her eyes wide and terrified.

"What happened?" Ceaye demanded.

A pause. "Someone who had the reflection of the princess but looked like Link was chased down the hall, and this girl with black hair and brown eyes distracted him long enough to be caught, and Sir Adam said that a tall bad man was trying to get in so he had servants blockade doors, and a guy named Fredrick and Sir Adam decided to kill the guy who they caught, but a green haired girl went in the way.

"But then, we heard a slam as the tall guy tried to break into the main hallway, and a couple servants tried to hold him out, but he broke in, and as he did so, these fish creatures that someone told me were Zoras came in the other way and there was a big fight, and it went out into the courtyard and people died.

"Then, a Zora guy with creepy tattoos and a magic halberd came in, and somehow turned the guy they caught into Princess Zelda, saying that the one you have in your hands right now is a fake, and then he tried to take her away with him, but she pressed her right hand against his chest, and it burned him, so he had to leave her here, and I hid for the rest of the time as he left."

I would have commented on how longwinded the explanation was, but I was in too much shock from Mesovys' survival. Ceaye grew enraged. "Sir Adam blocked Kingsley from entering?! Where is he?!"

"In the dining hall." We turned to the voice to find Kingsley, mostly unharmed with a grim expression, approaching us. "Come with me."

As he said this, however, the pendant glowed tangerine, and I was enveloped with a bright light. I had to shield my own eyes, but when I opened them, I found that I was myself, and my tunic restored.

"The curse is lifted!" I cheered, but soon calmed down as I felt a sting from my back and reality set in. "Take us to Sir Adam."

Kingsley complied, and I found that now I was myself (thank Farore for that!), I could manage to walk. We soon found our way in the dining hall, where Knight was tied up in a similar fashion to how Zelda was in the dream.

He spat at us when we approached. "Well, if it isn't Kingsy and the Hero! Come to double team on me, have you?"

I approached him, my anger growing. "Alright, you! I've had enough of your stupid antics! You got a friend of mine killed! You told me that Kingsley thought you were planning to ascend to the throne! You tried to aid Fredrick in killing Zelda! You've gone too far!"

Knight muttered to himself, "Well, I am already going to the dungeon, anyway…" He then sneered at me. "That is not all I have done, though if I had succeeded, you would be dead by now," he claimed.

"And what exactly did you do?" I demanded.

He chuckled for a moment. "You are so idiotic. You thought, all this time, that it was Her Majesty that was behind it." He grinned. "I was the one who sabotaged your sword in Lyna Forest."

I stared, dumbfounded; all this time I gave him joy from my suffering, and gave the princess hell, it was the other way around. I felt unending anger growing.

I let it out by slapping him silly.

I got in six hits before Kingsley and Ceaye could pull me away. I then noticed that Zelda had entered the hall and had heard what he had said.

"Your Majesty," Knight told her, "punish me however you please. I know it not to be light for what I have done to this plague in front of me."

She stared. "Your punishment," she told him, "was to be light until you uttered those words whilst I entered the room." I noticed he went into complete dismay. "You shall wait in the dungeon until I assign your punishment. Leave my face."

As a couple of knights took him away, Knight called out to me, "Before he left, the assassin stole away a girl with long black hair and brown eyes! I leave this information to you, maggot!" And off to the dungeon he was taken.

Utter horror spread across my face. "No." I then, despite my injuries, sprinted as fast as I could out of the dining hall and to the courtyard.

No. It can't be.

I reached the courtyard, only to find that it was in the very similar state from before. However, Uunco was there, gloomy and staring into the fountain. As I approached, he turned around, a grim expression upon his face.

I was at first quiet. "He didn't."

Uunco didn't respond; he only opened his hand and held it toward me.

A lock of Sarah's hair.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

End of Arc Three

As some of you may be asking aware, I haven't made it clear on how many parts there would be. "I mean, LocalTalent, you said in Arc 1 that there would be three parts, but now you're going on about a fourth arc?" Well, luckily, there is an official answer to that question. THERE WILL BE SIX ARCS. That means that this chapter officially marks the halfway point of the story! Finally!

Anyway, I apologive about Arc 3 being so lengthy... Arc 4 will be more action-oriented and plot-driven than this part. I do have the next chapter done, though I'll edit it a bit first.

Thank you for reaching the halfway point, and review if you wish!

Next Chapter: With the aftermath of the Zora's plot, Link discovers that things can get worse than he suspected...